The Contract
by Kouga's Eternal
Summary: Following the massacre of her family, Kagome is taken into the protection of Sesshoumaru. When a contract is discovered with only one way out, will she take it? There are consequences for messing with the past, and Kagome will not be the only one who faces them. NC/AU, all normal disclaimers apply. *On Hiatus*
1. Chapter 1

**This is for my own entertainment. It's adultier than Tied and I'm having more fun writing it. Chances are, while I will continue to work on Tied, this one will more than likely be my focus. Not because I don't like Tied, but because this one is just more entertaining and holding my interest better.**

 **Blah, blah... not mine... blah blah... blah blah.**

 **Enjoy,**

 **~Kouga's Eternal**

Sitting on the side of the well on her side of time, Kagome took a breather after the climb to the top. She didn't know why, but the ladder her mother left there for her to use wasn't there, so she had been trying for over an hour to climb up, and falling back down more times than she cared to admit. She was filthy, covered in bumps, bruises, and bleeding cuts, but she was home finally and that was what mattered. Some time in an actual bath and a good dinner and she would be fixed right up.

Glaring over her shoulder to the bottom of the well, she huffed to herself. Stupid Inuyasha. She had wanted to be home days ago, but noooo... he had to track down one more dead end lead on a shard the opposite direction of the well. Now, instead of being home when she promised, she was three days late and her family was probably going out of their minds with worry because there was absolutely no way to let them know she was still alive.

With a shake of her head, she hopped off the well and picked up her pack. Nevermind now. It was done. All she could do was hope her mother still had hair and her grandpa hadn't broken his leg trying to go after her like he had threatened so many times before when she was later than promised. Shouldering her pack, Kagome slowly ascended the steps, her body still weary from the climb and stiff from sitting.

She was about halfway to the house when the feeling of eyes burning into her skin pulled her attention from the back dark back door towards the shrine steps that led to the street, and what she saw immediately stopped her feet.

Blinking, Kagome turned completely towards the four bodies coming her way, her eyes locked on the one that led the others. She could absolutely not believe what she was seeing. The closer he got, the wider her eyes opened. She tripped over her tongue, almost like the appendage also couldn't believe what was going on.

Dark amber eyes locked on hers, his voice as smooth as it was in the day prior when he threatened her death. "Miko."

A tremor ran her spine and ice filled her veins. Swallowing the lump that formed in her throat, she licked her lips. "Sesshoumaru? You're alive?"

Sesshoumaru came to a stop a few feet from her, looking down his nose at the human, he grudgingly had to admit, he owed his life to. The entirety of the demon race, actually, but he was never one for semantics. He had heard her say, more than once in the past, there were no demons where she came from, and yet, the island was full of them. There were actually more per capita now than there was in the time she traveled to. It would certainly be interesting to see her reaction when she finds that out.

As it stood, there was nothing for her here any longer, and he was there to repay his debt to her.

Keeping his voice even, so as not to cause unnecessary alarm, he spoke again. "You are to come with me."

Kagome looked at the demon before her, then to the backup he had with him. Sesshoumaru wasn't one you said no to, but there was something off about the situation. Sesshoumaru didn't NEED backup. Looking at him a moment longer, she turned at looked back at the unusually dark house, and nodded. "Alright. Just, let me tell my mother I'm home first. I'm late, thanks to your brother, and I'm sure she's worried about me."

Knowing what lied behind the darkened glass, Sesshoumaru crossed his arms. "I very much doubt that, Miko. I am saying this purely out of consideration of your human sensitivities that you do not want to go in there. I warn out of gratitude to you for being the savior of my race, it will be a choice you will live to regret should you go. No one will stop you, but you should consider the fact I never warn anyone of anything. There is nothing for you here any longer."

Kagome actually felt her heart stop at his words before a cold sweat broke out on her skin as the implication of what he was saying snagged her mind. Her eyes closed and her shoulders slouched to the point her backpack slipped and dropped to the ground. Her voice was so quiet it could have easily been taken by the breeze that blew through the shrine. "They're gone? They left?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "No, they didn't leave, but they are gone."

"When?"

With a hum of thought, Sesshoumaru clicked his tongue. "Four nights ago. You should also know they did fight, they just didn't win."

Tears breaking her lashes, Kagome once again gulped down a lump and finally returned her eyes to the Western Lord. "How?"

Scratching a claw between his eyes, Sesshoumaru actually let out an audible sigh. "A demon marked for death broke free of his confines. Many fell to his claws before he was captured again. It was determined he was always on his way here, but we have yet determined why. He will not tell anyone what his reasons were, and he's old enough that normal means of gaining information are ineffective. Lord Kouga is currently attempting new means in which to gain the answers."

Despite the situation, Kagome felt a tiny, unnoticeable twinge of happiness to hear Kouga was also alive, but it was so overshadowed by loss and heartache, she didn't notice it. There was also a boiling rage in her gut that caused her holy powers to begin to expand around her in a pink hue as her eyes hardened. "Four days? So, had Inuyasha not demanded I stay longer, I would have been here to see them one last time before they were slaughtered."

Though it was nearly a tangible pain, Sesshoumaru actually came to the defence of the annoyance he called pack. "Had he not done what he did, you could have been killed as well. This is not, however, a place for this discussion. Come."

Turning back to look at her home, Kagome gave life to the thought to go in, but decided not to. Whatever was in there had to be bad if Sesshoumaru told her not to. Bending down, she picked up her pack, blinking at the hand that was extended to her in offer to take it from her by one of the men that was with Sesshoumaru. Handing it to him, Kagome then slowly started to walk beside Sesshoumaru, her eyes on the ground and arms wrapped around her stomach.

If her chosen pace was too slow for him, Sesshoumaru didn't show it. He simply walked beside her through the shrine and down the steps to his waiting car. He played the gentleman and opened the door for her, closing it once she was safely inside. Turning and taking the bag that was held out to him, he looked dead into his general's eyes.

"You know what to do."

The General bowed his head and turned, walking back up the steps. "Yes, My Lord. Destroy the well."


	2. Chapter 2

Sesshoumaru stood in the doorway of the room he had put the miko, doing and saying nothing as he watched her do the same thing she had been doing for the last three days. She had barely moved from the place on the bed she dropped, and he was beginning to become concerned for her health. She had done nothing but sleep since they arrived and Sesshoumaru knew it was only a matter of time before she succumbed to her humanity.

Turning his head when Jaken spoke his name, he simply nodded when he was told he had a guest arrive. Telling the toad to take him to his office, Sesshoumaru remained in the doorway a moment longer, trying and failing to figure out what he was going to do about the miko.

Coming up with a halfass plan he certainly wasn't a fan of, he pushed himself off the doorway and made his way through the halls to his office where he knew he would find the unexpected arrival.

After rolling his head on his shoulders, Sesshoumaru slid the door open and stepped inside, brow rising at who it was waiting for him.

His stride was smooth as he made his way to his desk. "I had thought I made it clear your presence was both unneeded and most unwanted... by both of us," He added as an afterthought as he took his seat across from his little brother.

Inuyasha frowned and he crossed his arms, ears flattening against his head. He certainly aged in the last five hundred years, now looking the like elder of the two brothers and by no small number of years. It was only because of his demon blood he was still alive, but he was visibly near fifty while his asshole of an older brother didn't look a day over twenty-two. His eyes lowered to the desktop and his sighed. "I know, but..."

Sesshoumaru settled back into his chair, lacing his fingers together. "There are no buts here, Inuyasha. You were told to stay away for good reason. She blames you for taking away her ability to say good-bye and still very much possesses the ability to purify you. It was for your own safety I told you not to come here."

Not even five hundred years had tapered Inuyasha's temper. His eyes shot up and his voice rose. "Like I fucking knew what was happening here back then. How the hell can this be laid at my feet? I did nothing wrong, and for all we know, it saved her life. How can she be mad at me for that?"

A challenging brow rose to meet Sesshoumaru's bangs. "Do you truly believe she cares she's alive? She lost her entire family to a rogue demon and no one can tell her why. She is completely alone and no one has any answers. She was kept in the past for how much longer than _she_ wanted to be there? While her living status is up for debate as to whether she would have if at all if not for the prolonged time in the past, what is not is she came back to no one and she places the blame for not being here on you. Grief, Inuyasha, has no logic, no reason. She will grieve as she grieves and at the moment, she doesn't want to see you. How is it you are allowed to be angry with her, and she is not allowed to be angry with you? You are not the one that lost anything."

Inuyasha went to open his mouth, but thought better of it when he found he had no retort. Instead, he sighed and bit into his lower lip in thought. "Does she even know who the demon was?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "No, not yet. Currently, keeping her from starving to death is the goal. When she's ready to ask for what little information I have, she'll let me know."

"How are you so sure of that?"

Sesshoumaru snorted. "Because, once she moves on from grief, she'll want revenge."

Inuyasha cocked a brow. "Revenge? Kagome?"

Sesshoumaru locked his eyes on his brother's. "Anyone."


	3. Chapter 3

The sound of cracking knuckles bounced off the walls of the small concrete cell as a single fang flashed in the overhead light. Cobalt blue danced with ribbons of red in hard eyes. Deep and rustic, he spoke to the man strapped in the chair in the center of the room.

"Did you know a demon can actually bleed to death if you know what you're doing? It takes a long time, but it can be done. Healing abilities only need to be shut down just long enough, and you'll lose too much to recover. I hear it's one of the most painful ways to die, when your body starts to work against you."

There was the sound a steel on steel, the blade gleaming in the low light.

"I'll give you one last chance to explain yourself before I lose the last of my patience with you."

Kouga looked at the limp body before him, blood dripping to a puddle under the chair. He had long since lost the ability to care about keeping the demon alive. It was crunch time. It was time for answers, and he would get them before he allowed the demon before him to die in the slowest, most agonizing way known to demons.

he crouched and roughly grabbed the man by his cheekbones, his claws digging into the bruised and swollen flesh. "Talk, before I remove your lungs from your chest."

Naraku looked at the long time bane of his existence. How was it it came to this? There was a time not long ago he had this wolf nearly begging for death, and now it was the other way around. Though he put up one hell of a fight, he had truly underestimated the demon in front of him, and he knew, at that moment, he was going to die. He was too weak from loss of blood and all around pain, he wouldn't be able to stay silent much longer.

Soon, he would tell him anything Kouga wanted to know.

Feeling the burn of Kouga's claws in his face, and hearing the cracking of his skull under the force of his grip, Naraku broke like a piece of glass.

"They tried to renig. They deserved everything and more."

Kouga smirked to himself. ' _Bingo, fucker._ He voice now carried a hard growl as he pushed Naraku's head back more and began to rise from his crouch. "On what?"

Red eyes locked on triumphant blue. "Our contract."

Tightening his grip to the point he felt bone fracture, Kouga snarled. "What contract?" When there was no answer for longer than he cared to wait, Kouga lifted the blade still in his hand and placed the tip against Naraku's dick, pushing just hard enough for the point to be made. "What contact?"

An audible gulp could be heard along with the stressing of the denim fabric of Naraku's jeans. "The one they agreed to. The one that says she's my son's."

Kouga's blood ran cold at the statement, but he refused to allow it to show. He knew what that meant, but fuck, who the hell would have bared this asshole a heir? It didn't matter really, but that was something that needed to be looked into and a copy of the contract itself needed to be obtained. If it was a legit contract, both parties would have one, and one was never found at the scene of the massacre. He would know after being the one to go over it with a fine tooth comb. Sure, there was a chance it was missed, but it was more likely it wasn't completely legal and that's why Kagome's family tried to back out.

Without a second thought, Kouga plunged the dagger hilt deep between Naraku's legs, standing to his full height and leaving the room, the man's screams following him out.

There couldn't be much time life before this son of Naraku came to claim Kagome, and Kouga had every intention of making sure that didn't happen.


	4. Chapter 4

**Ooh... ouch. Yeah; I have zero excuses for this hellacious time span between updates. Sure, it's that time of year, and I have some shit going on, but damn... Sorry.**

 **I will try and be more vigilant in the coming future with updates.**

 **~Kouga's Eternal.**

 ***X***

It was only through some unknown feeling of obedience Kagome padded her way through the halls of the Western Palace towards Sesshoumaru's office where she was summoned to. The request came to her nearly an hour ago, but she couldn't be bothered to listen until there was a third attempt to rouse her from the bed she hadn't left for more than to pee in a week. She had heard Inuyasha had come a few days prior, but she couldn't well up an ounce of care he was still alive.

She actually wished he wasn't.

She was sure that thought would land her in hell, but at this point, she didn't care. She didn't want to be alive. She felt guilty she was still among the living, and nothing anyone had been able to say to her lessened that feeling. She knew, just knew, had she been there, her family would still be alive. She had faced so many rogue demons and was perfectly capable of blowing them to bits, all on her own.

In the the last few years, she had gotten more than just proficient with the bow. She was damn near a perfect shot, missing her appointed target by less than an inch. In truth, she was a better marksman than even Kikyou, but do you think that was ever pointed out? Nope, it was completely ignored and she was still just the replicate. She didn't care anymore, though. She had long since gotten passed competing with a corpse. She still didn't particularly care to be compared to her, but hey; it was what it was.

Coming to a stop a few feet from the door, Kagome paused. She could hear raised voices, but she couldn't make out what was said, but she knew something wasn't right. Lips turning down in the corners, she wondered if she had pissed around too long and would now be intruding on something else entirely. Gnawing on her bottom lip for another minute or two, she finally let out a breath and stepped up to the door, knocking lightly and opening it before there was an acknowledgement. Poking her head in, she gave the room a quick glance, she looked to the silver hair Lord of the mannor.

"You wanted to see me, Sesshoumaru?"

Though his face flattened at her continued refusal to address him properly, Sesshoumaru ignored it and nodded, waving her in. "I called you over an hour ago, Miko. You are fifty feet away. How?"

Kagome shrugged and closed the door behind her. "Believe me, you wanted me to clean up first. I went ripe three days ago. Honestly, I was starting to make my own stomach turn."

There was a snort, but it went ignored and Sesshoumaru shook his head and held a hand out to the empty chair across from him. "Very well. Something has been brought to my attention and it's something you should know."

Not like the tone, Kagome folded her arms behind her back and cleared her throat. "If it makes no difference to you, I'll stand. What's going on?"

At first, she had thought this would be something that wouldn't take long, but the more Sesshoumaru talked, the colder she got. Ice replaced her blood when he dropped the name Naraku and her legs nearly gave out when she was told he was the one that killed her family. Unable to keep still or silent, kagome shot from her stop to stand behind the chair she was told to sit in, grabbing the back with both hands and interrupted without thinking about it.

"He's not dead? I don't understand. How was he not killed centuries ago?"

A cool smirk pulled at Sesshoumaru's lips. "It's not him you need to worry about, Miko."

Jaw dropping, Kagome forgot herself and who, exactly, she was talking to. "I beg your fucking pardon? I've met this asshole. He KILLED my family. How the fuck is that not something to worry about?"

A brow slid to meet his bangs at the language, but chose to say nothing. He knew anger would come into play, he decided she was allowed to express it. "Naraku was executed two days ago for that reason. As I said, he is not the one you need to worry about. His son is."

Kagome was actually left speechless at the statement. Son? He had a son? "Who the fuck would have a child with that... creature?"

Sesshoumaru, as diplomatic as ever, merely lifted a shoulder. "Moot point, Miko. The point is, his son is in possession of a contract, signed by someone in your family, approving the mating between yourself and him."

Jaw going lax, Kagome shook her head. "They... wouldn't... no. There is no way in hell my mother would allow something like that. She knows the stories I've told her about Naraku. There is no possible way she signed anything like that."

Sesshoumaru picked up a rolled scroll and held it out. "It wasn't your mother that signed it. It was the head of the house."

With shaking fingers, she took the scroll and unrolled it, looked at the bottom of the last page, tears gathering in her eyes. Though it was hard to see through her tears, she saw her grandfather's name neatly signed. Her voice was a whisper. "He hates demons. Why would he sign this? It doesn't make any sense. He would have to have been forced into it."

Sesshoumaru laced his fingers together. "While that is a possibility, with them gone, proving it will be impossible. This contract will be honored." Pausing there for a moment, he let the implication fully set in before he continued. "Unless..."

Kagome's eyes shot up and locked on his. "Unless what?"

Taking another moment, Sesshoumaru gave her the loophole in all mating contracts. "Unless it is disputed by a demon of higher status."

Hope welling in her gut, Kagome barked. "Dispute the damn thing then."

It was then Sesshoumaru shook his head. "I cannot. I already have a mate. Therefore, I cannot dispute a mating."

Eyes going owlish size, Kagome stared at him. "Really?" Seeing the look that overtook his face, she backtracked. "I mean, congratulations but... seriously?"

Voice flat, Sesshoumaru deadpanned. "Seriously."

Folding in on herself, crumpling the contract in her hands, Kagome whimpered. "So, I have to spend the rest of my life with the son of the man that killed my family? The son of the man that has actually tried to kill me? There's nothing you can do?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head, and a new voice sounded from behind her she would know anywhere. "I can, though."

Whipping around, Kagome blinked and gasped. "Kouga?"

He flashed her the same grin he always did and looked back at Sesshoumaru with an expectant look.

Sesshoumaru continued. "Kouga is the Lord of the Eastern Lands, and one of the few in a position to dispute the contract. In your dallying to join us, we have come to an agreement that is mutually beneficial to the both of you."

Kagome looked between the two demons before looking back at Sesshoumaru, who was now standing. "What is it?"

Moving out from behind his desk, Sesshoumaru walked past Kagome and to the door. "I will allow him to explain the particulars." Pausing at the door, he looked back at Kagome. "It is now my job to look out for your best interests. I negotiated on your behalf as if you were my own pack. However, in the end, it is your choice on which contract you will honor. One of them will be fulfilled, as is the law."

Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru left, keeping her eyes on the door a moment longer before turning to Kouga, who she would never have been able to imagine in modern day clothing. Somehow, the jeans and button down dress shirt suited him. His hair was still in a ponytail, and he still wore the fur headband, but everything else about him was so different dressed as he was.

Scratching the back of her neck, she tried to smile, but they both knew it was fake. "You haven't changed a bit, have you?"

Kouga grinned and crossed his arms as he leaned back against the wall behind him. "Sure I have. Five hundred years is a long time, Kagome. I'm sure I look at least a couple years older than I did back then. We just age really slow after we reach maturity."

Having nothing really to say to that, Kagome wrapped her arms around her waist. "So, what was Sesshoumaru talking about?"

Regarding her, Kouga cocked his head to the side. "Well, it's like this. A few decades ago, it was decided the reigning Lords have to have an heir by the time they reach their six hundredth year in power, or they vacate their position and someone else is chosen to take their place. Something about how the times and humans are changing, therefore there should be someone else in place to take over if something were to happen to the current lord. Anyway, I'm down to about twenty years before my time is up and I have to step down... give or take a year."

Pursing her lips, Kagome nodded slowly, figuring she knew where this was going. "So, you'll dispute this thing with Naraku's son if I give you one."

Kouga shook his head. "No. I'll dispute your mating to him, if you agree to be mine instead. I don't want a breeder popping out a kid. I want what my parents had, and they were together a long time before they were murdered. It's one mating contract for another. That's how a dispute works, Kagome. I can step in on your behalf and end this bullshit with Naraku's kid right now, but only on the grounds that I want you."

Kagome bit her lip as she listened to him. So, it was like that, was it? Rubbing her arms when he was done talking, she considered what he said for a long minute. Swallowing hard, she lifted her eyes back to him. "So, in order to get out of one contract, I have to enter another?" When Kouga nodded, she sighed quietly. "And let me guess, it's out of the kindness of your heart you offered, right?"

Kouga lifted a brow high on his forehead. "Excuse me?"

Even knowing she shouldn't take it out on him, she was so upset with the situation, and he was the one present. "Don't act like this isn't something you dreamed about, Kouga. It's the perfect way for you to get exactly what you wanted all those years ago. You drooled over the thought of having me as your woman and now you're getting your chance."

Spine straightening, Kouga narrowed his eyes. "I beg your fucking pardon? Believe me, Kagome, I'm not getting what I want. I want you, sure, but you think I LIKE the fact it's because you're backed into a corner? Fuck no. I wanted it to be because you actually wanted it, not because it's the lesser of two evils. I'm doing you a goddamn favor. I suggest you act like it. Remember, you don't have to sign the fucking thing. You can go skip off into the sunset with the son of Naraku if you're going to be such a bitch about it. Inuyasha can't save you this time."

Jolting at the last statement, Kagome glared back. "The fuck makes you think I want him too? Did you know it was because of him I wasn't here to save them? I don't want him to save me. I don't want you to have to either. I don't want to have to BE saved. So, I'm so sorry that I'm a little pissed off. I think I have a pretty good fucking reason to be. I come back to a time that demons aren't supposed to be alive, find out the one that I was trying to kill five hundred years ago killed my family and that I have to marry his fucking son. Take a minute and look at this from my point of view. It's not as easy as just picking up a goddamn pen and signing my name, Kouga!"

Okay, he would admit she had a point. It couldn't be an easy situation for her so, taking a deep breath and forcing himself to settle back down, Kouga nodded. "Alright, I'll give you your points. I can't begin to understand how you're feeling and I won't pretend I can. But, you have to know I wasn't trying to use this to my advantage. You should know me better than that."

Scrubbing her face hard with her hands, Kagome conceded. "I do, and I'm sorry. It's just been..."

When she trailed off, Kouga pushed himself off the wall and walked over to her. Setting his hands on her hips, he still kept a measure of distance between them, he waited until she was looking at him. "I know you've had a really, really bad week. I'm not oblivious to that. I am also not going to let some asshole who destroyed you more than once to win the last game he was playing if I can help it. The offer is there. I can't make you sign, but you should at least look. Sesshoumaru is a fucking dick of a businessman. He looked out for you better than he did for Rin when she got married all those centuries ago." He then nodded at Sesshoumaru's desk. "I've already signed it. You sign it, it's done, and you never even have to see this guy. If you don't, Sesshoumaru will have no choice but to hand you over when he shows up."

Looking over her shoulder at the papers on Sesshoumaru's desk, Kagome pressed her lips together before she pulled away and walked over and picked them up. Reading through it, her eyes shot up from the contract to Kouga, surprise coloring her every pore. "Three grand allowance a month? Not including clothing or personal effects?"

Kouga shrugged and crossed his arms. "That's actually pretty standard for a Lady from what I understand. Sesshoumaru's mate spends twice that in half the time." When he saw her brow raise, he smirked. "Canines have a hard time telling their mates no."

Blinking, Kagome turned back to the papers in her hand and continued to read. When she got to the part she dreaded most, the producing of the heir, she paid close attention and was shocked at how basic it was. "So, according to this, I decide when we have a baby?"

Kouga nodded again. "Did you think I was going to force you into my bed? I have twenty years, or something like it. It's not like we have to knock you up tomorrow."

Having nothing to say to that, she returned to the contract. It wasn't until the last page that she came across something she really didn't like, and read it outloud. "At no time will the female be alone with another male without expressed permission." Lifting only her eyes, Kagome waited for that one to explained. She had male friends, and always had. This wasn't going to fly for long.

Humming in his throat, Kouga thought of the best way to explain that. "Hmm... well, the only way to put it is male demons are jealous, possessive, assholes when it comes to their mates. It's not really something we can help. It's just the way we are. We want all our mate's attention, all the time. Attention given to another guy is attention that should be given to us. Besides, it doesn't say you can't go out with any guy friends you have. It says you can't be alone with them. Think of it this way. Would you want your husband to be alone with another girl?" He could clearly tell she was annoyed to have to shake her head no, so he grinned. "Same deal, Kagome. If you wouldn't want your man to be alone with a girl, why is it such a shock we don't want it to happen either. Also, if you read the next line, it says I agree to it as well."

Slowly, Kagome's eyes lowered back to the page and she continued to read, making a face when it did in fact say the male agrees to never be alone with a female not his mate. Clearing her throat, she nodded. "That's... fair."

Winking at her, Kouga glanced at his watch and cursed under his breath. "Listen, Kagome." Looking back at her and seeing her looking at him, he tried to light a fire under her ass without freaking her out in the process. "You don't have a lot of time to make this choice. You need to decide, and it needs to be soon."

Brows drawing, they then shot up her forehead when she picked up what he wasn't saying. "He's on his way, isn't he?"

Kouga nodded. "And he'll be here anytime now."

Jolting, Kagome looked back at the contract in her hands. "But, there is still so much I haven't read and..."

Flashing to stand behind her, he cut her off. "Do you trust me?"

Looking over at him, she frowned. "I don't know. This is... a lot."

Pressing his lips together as he heard a car pull up, Kouga made a noise in the back of his throat. "I know, and I'm sorry about that. I really am, but you don't have anymore time to make the choice. It's about to be made for you." Picking his head up when he heard a deep voice he never heard before, he laid on a little more urgency. "He's here, right now, demanding your presence. Time's up, Kagome. Sesshoumaru can only stall for so long." Crooking a finger under her chin and forcing her to meet his eyes, "We were friends once. I still think we are. I know we can make this work. Can you say the same about this other guy?"

She looked in his eyes for a moment before pulling her chin free and turning away. She picked up Sesshoumaru's pen and, turning to the last page, signed her name on the dotted line.

Kouga grabbed the contract off the desk when she set the pen down. "Alright. I'll go deal with this and see you next week."

Snapping to attention as Kouga made for the door, she called out to him. "Wait." When he looked back, she bit her lip and played with her fingers. "What if he doesn't let it go?"

A shadow passed through Kouga's eyes as he considered the question. Then, he looked over to the corner of the room. "Ato." Kagome watched a wolf she hadn't noticed stand and walk a few steps forward. Kouga looked at the wolf. "She doesn't leave your sight." When the animal barked, Kouga looked back at Kagome. "I would suggest staying in here for the time being. This could get a little bloody."


	5. Chapter 5

Kouga stood at the top of the stairs, surveying the scene in the great hall between Sesshoumaru and this other guy who just didn't know when to shut up. It would appear he was raised in Naraku's image and didn't think anything applied to him; including proper respect in someone else's home. Even from the distance he was from him, he could clearly see Sesshoumaru's stance beginning to tighten and go defensive. Still, regal as ever, didn't let it slip into his voice.

When the demon tried to sidestep Sesshoumaru, stating he would retrieve his mate himself, Kouga smirked wide and crossed his arms. Contract tucked into his back pocket, Kouga called down to him.

"You ain't getting near my woman."

All eyes on him, Kouga descended the stairs, purpose to his stride as he looked dead into the red eyes of what could only be described as a clone. He looked exactly like Naraku sans the fact this guy was a full blooded demon. How that was possible, Kouga didn't know, nor did he care. It didn't really matter anyway.

Ryu, glare in place, watched as a wolf demon closed the distance between them, a snarl on his lips. "Your woman? I beg to differ." Pulling out a rolled scroll, he held it up and snapped. "She's mine. You cannot keep her from me."

Coming to a stop next to Sesshoumaru, Kouga looked at the scroll before returning his eyes to Ryu's. "Pretty paper you got there. Wanna see mine?" Pulling the newly signed contract from his pocket, he flipped up the bottoms of the pages and displayed Kagome's name. Glancing at it, he then grinned at the overly pissed off demon. "Such a beautiful name, ain't it?"

Ryu growled low before he yelled. "You can't do that!"

Kouga grinned wider, his fangs flashing in the lights above. "I beg to differ. As a reigning Lord, I can do whatever the fuck I want. Per her caretaker, and she herself, she's mine now. Accept it. You don't want to fight me on this. You will lose. I promise you that."

Taking the step that put him nose to nose with Kouga, Ryu growled. "This isn't over."

Kouga narrowed his eyes and snapped his teeth at Ryu's nose, forcing him to step back again. "For your sake, it better be. If I catch you anywhere near my mate, I will do to you what I did to your father."

Eyes flashing at the statement, Ryu took the bait and went on the attack.

Standing at the balcony, Kagome watched the actions going on below, Ato sitting at her ankle. When Kouga dodged the attack, Kagome blinked at the sight of two twinkles in his legs. _Jewel shards? He still has his jewel shards?_ She couldn't believe what she was seeing. No wonder Naraku had lived so long. He was never relieved of his portion of the jewel. That then begged the question...

Where was the rest of the Shikon?

*X*

In the days following her signing the contract with Kouga, Kagome couldn't focus on anything she knew she was supposed to be.

She was supposed to be planning the ceremony, but all she could think about was the fact the Shikon was still broken, and she had no idea where the rest of it was. As the planner continued to drone on about this and that, Kagome continued to basically ignore her as she considered what that meant. Naraku had most of the jewel way back when, so did that mean that part was now with his son? Was that why Naraku went through the trouble of forcing her family to give her to him so then he would have the whole thing sans what was in Kouga's legs? As far as she knew, other than those two, the rest had been found and were in the part she had and the bigger part Naraku had.

She was so lost in thought she actually jumped when the planner snapped her fingers in front of her face. Blinking, Kagome stood and, without a word, left the room and ran towards Sesshoumaru's office. This was something that couldn't wait. If there was a chance this other guy had the jewel, it was only a matter of time before the past repeated itself.

Throwing the door open without knocking, Kagome looked right at Sesshoumaru, who didn't look overly thrilled with the interruption. He went to open his mouth, but she spoke first. "Where is the rest of the Jewel? I know Kouga still has his shards. I saw them the other day. Where is the rest of it?"

Leaning back in his chair, he glanced at the minor lord in his office a moment before returning his eyes to Kagome. "Perhaps we can discuss this later, Miko."

Kagome shook her head. "If it's with Naraku's son, there is no later."

Giving her a pointed look. "Allow me to rephrase. We will discuss this later. You have preparations to see to and I am currently busy."

She turned desperate. "Sesshou..."

Voice raising, Sesshoumaru stood from his seat, his hands slamming on the top of his desk. "Not now, Miko. It has been over four hundred years since it has been an issue. It can wait an hour more."

Glaring back, Kagome snarked. "You sure?" Whirling around, she stormed from the room, slamming the door closed and quipping under her breath. "Asshole dog."

Sesshoumaru glared at the door having heard the statement, but let it go. Before he sat down, he growled under his breath when the Miko's voice floated back into his office. "You know what? I don't give a damn. You plan the fucking thing since everything I say is ignored anyway. I'm over not being listened to."

The minor lord, who had remained silent through the whole short interaction, rubbed his chin. "She seems... spirited."

Sesshoumaru snorted softly as he retook his seat. "I suppose that is one word for it. The Miko has never exactly been one to bend to others."

Hetero cocked a brow. "Miko? I thought they were extinct."

With a quiet chuckle, Sesshoumaru grinned. "She once thought the same about demons. Seems you were both wrong." Though there was clear curiosity on the minor lord's face, Sesshoumaru redirected the meeting back to the original topic.

*X*

Kagome stomped through the halls and to her room, completely ignoring the wedding planner that trailed behind her, begging her forgiveness. All Kagome did was hiss at her before slamming her door. Leaning back against it, she surveyed the room she had been using since Sesshoumaru brought her to his manner. Eyes falling on the cell phone she had been given, she hummed before going to pick it up. Also picking up the piece of paper with Kouga's number on it, she typed it in and hit send. He had always been good at calming her down before. She was curious if he was still able to.

It rang four times and, just when Kagome thought he wasn't going to answer, the sound of his own annoyed voice came through the line. " _Lord Tanaka."_

Pulling phone from her ear, she double checked the number before tentatively speaking. "Kouga?"

There was a release of breath before he came back on. " _Hey Kagome. What's up?"_ His voice got a little quieter, ' _No you stupid fucker. That is not what I said and you know it.'_ When his was clearly talking to her again, his annoyance was back. " _I'm a little busy at the moment. Can I call you back in like... ten minutes?"_

She was still a little stand offish. "Everything alright?"

There was a growl. " _It would be if these asswipes would just fucking listen. I swear, they're pushing my buttons on purpose today. Let me finish this and I'll call you back."_

Sighing, Kagome nodded. "I know the feeling. No one is listening to me either. I'll take to you when you're free."

Sensing the change in her voice, Kouga clicked his tongue. " _This shit can wait. What's going on?"_

Plopping down hard on her bed, Kagome propped her chin in her hand. "Just what I said. No one is listening to me. That planner chick that is supposed to he helping me with my end of the ceremony is refusing to listen to a damn word I have to say and is basically telling me what's going to happen, even though I have repeatedly told her I don't like what she's shown me. I mean, I get the colors aren't up for debate and that's fine, but I HATE pumpkin spice, and what guess what the fuck the cake is. I know it's all pretty last minute or whatever, but damn, can't it at least be like... white cake with chocolate frosting or something other than pumpkin? Then there is Sesshoumaru. I have a legitimate concern and he flat out dismissed it like it's unimportant. I just... no one is listening, at all, and I'm just about completely over everything."

Once she ran out of steam, Kouga crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall he was next to, propping his foot on the wall. " _For starters, tell the planner she's fired. Get exactly what you want, and I'll make sure it happens. As for Sesshoumaru, I doubt it was fully dismissed, Kagome. You know how he used to be, and he hasn't really changed much over the years. He's mellowed out some, but he's still the same way in every other aspect. Whatever it is that you're concerned about, I promise, he'll see to it. Even if I have to make him. For now, call your girlfriends and get out of the manner for a while. Go get some ice cream or something and just... take a breather from everything. A lot was dropped on you in very little time and I'm sure being stuck inside all the time isn't helping."_

Sighing again, Kagome shook her head. "I'm not allowed to go anywhere. Sesshoumaru is taking Ryu's threat seriously and he doesn't want me to be out and him try something stupid."

" _I can appreciate that. However, it's not doing you any favors either. Call your friends and I'll make a few calls of my own. By the time you're ready to go, you'll have all the protection you need. Just breathe, Kagome. It's almost over."_

A small smile pulled at her lips. "I can really get whatever I want? Even if it costs a fortune?

Kouga chuckled. _"Oh, it's gonna costs a fortune. But, even under the circumstances, this is supposed to be a happy occasion. Clearly, your stress level is saying you're not happy."_

Kagome giggled in kind. "Happy wife, happy life, right?"

There was a snort. " _Something like that. Call your friends and I'll see you in three days, alright? Just relax. Everything is going to be fine."_

With an agreement, Kagome hung up with Kouga, feeling much better, and proceeded to do exactly what he said. First, she fired the wedding planner, then she started making a handful of other calls, setting up an evening out of the manner. She just hoped everyone was free.

*X*

Ending the call with Kagome, Kouga gave a few directions to the staff before hitting and holding the 4 on his phone, putting it to his ear when it connected. When a voice came through the line, Kouga didn't return the greeting. "Pissing my girl off, huh, Sesshoumaru?"

There was a light sigh before his smooth voice came through the line. " _I was in the middle of a meeting when she came in, speaking of something that was agreed wouldn't be broadcasted."_

Pursing his lips, Kouga left the room he was in and stepped into the hall, closing the door behind him and lowering his voice. "She asked about the Shikon, didn't she?"

" _She did, and wouldn't drop it."_

Kouga snorted. "Did you think she would? But, she was right. That is a legitimate concern."

" _I agree. However, what would you have me tell her, hmm? We have no idea where the rest of the jewel is. All we know is you have yours and she has what she returned with. There is still a large part that was lost and we don't know when or where. Should I tell her that?"_

Rubbing his fingers between his closed eyes, Kouga clicked his tongue. "Umm... nope. She's stressed out enough at the moment. No need to add to it just yet. Speaking of her stress level, what's your general doing right now?"

There was a pause. " _I have no idea. Why?"_

"Because that onna needs to get out of the fucking house. I'm pretty sure she's going to reach the point she's so stressed out she'll lose control of her powers. I don't think I need to remind you what happened last time that happened."

There was a grunt. " _No, you don't."_ After another moment, Sesshoumaru came back on the line. " _Perhaps you're right about her need to get out of the house. I'll contact my general and have him take her somewhere for a time."_

A smirk pulled at Kouga's lips. "I told her to call her friends and meet them for ice cream or some shit. Something that won't be too taxing and should help her settle the fuck down before she snaps."

" _Very well. If that's what she wishes to do, that's where he'll take her."_

Though it wasn't seen, Kouga shrugged. "I don't give a fuck where he takes her. I will say, though, I get another phone call like the one I just got, I'm whoopin' someone's ass."


	6. Chapter 6

True to her word, an hour later, Kagome walked through the doors of the local ice cream parlor, bogged down with a backpack full of all kinds of shit for the wedding. She had promised to pay for whatever her friends wanted in exchange for their help. Most of them said they would have helped regardless, but they also weren't going to turn down free ice cream, either.

So, after packing her bag and wrestling a credit card out of Sesshoumaru, she left the manner with something of a lifted spirit with the Western General and three other guards. Sesshoumaru refused to take a chance with Ryu running around, and only agreed she could go if she took what he deemed 'necessary protection'. Honestly, he was acting far more like a father than a guardian, but at the same time, it was kinda nice in some ways. In others, it made her miss her own far more than she had in recent years. Sure, she missed her dad everyday, but she had also always had her mother.

Frowning deeply, she paused, closed her eyes, and shook her head. No, not here. Not now. If she allowed herself to think about it, she would end up getting married naked with no cake and damn it, she needed that cake. Cake made everything better.

Nodding when the General asked if she was alright, Kagome forced a smile. "I'll be alright. Why don't you guys take a seat at a different table. I doubt you want to be subjected to wedding planning."

The General grunted. "Not particularly. Find out what your friends want and Maru will get it for you."

Giving him another nod, Kagome closed the distance to her friends and smiled as best she could. "Hey guys. Thanks for coming on such short notice."

Eri jumped out of her chair and launched herself into Kagome, wrapping her arms around her neck. "I am so, so, so sorry to hear about your family, 'Gome." Pulling back, she held onto Kagome's arms and looked her in the eyes. "How are you?"

Scratching the back of her head when she saw she was, as always, the center of attention, lifted a shoulder. "I'm hanging in there, I guess."

Aumay turned in her chair and gave her a smile. "I know how you're feeling. It wasn't the same way, but I know what it's like to lose everyone at once. It gets better... eventually."

Kagome smiled at her oldest friend and nodded. "Thanks. Sesshoumaru's alright though. It's not the same and never will be, but he's not that bad."

Yuma, who had this knack for getting rid of awkward situations, chimed in. "Not to mention, he's hot as fuck. If nothing else, he's good for staring at."

There was a hard snort from Maru, who was waiting to take the ice cream order. Kagome's jaw dropped and her hand came up to cover her mouth. Eri and Ayumi just stared at her, making Yuma shrug.

"What? The man is gorgeous. No fault in just looking."

Kagome lowered her hand so only her fingers touched her bottom lip. "He has a mate."

Again, Yuma shrugged. "So? Doesn't make him any less attractive. I used to wish I was a demon just so I stood a chance of catching his eye."

Kagome shifted her eyes first to Maru, then to the other guards who had taken up a table a few feet away, who found the conversation quite funny. "No one repeats a word of this."

The General chuckled and nodded. "As you wish, My Lady."

A glare settled on her features. "Don't call me that."

A challenging brow rose as the General settled against the back of his chair. "You do realize in three days you will officially BE a Lady, right?"

Grudgingly, Kagome nodded, her voice flat. "Yes."

The General pointed a finger at her. "Then you should get used to it, _My Lady."_

Glaring darker, Kagome huffed. "You're an asshole, General Hoki." When all he did was shrug, Kagome huffed and turned away from him and back to her friends, who had watched the entire exchange with laughing eyes. Kagome wrinkled her nose before dropping her bag on the table. "Okay, I'm getting married in three days and all I have is a half assed idea for the dress. We got work to do."

After giving their orders to Maru, the girls dove into the bag, pulling out all the catalogs and pamphlets, and setting to work. The hardest part was finding things that looked good in the colors of the East. The Crest colors were green and brown and, while there was plenty of ideas, finding the right color green was a little bit of a pain in the ass.

Once that was settled, the girls powered through the plans, knocking most of it out in only a couple more hours. They were laughing and having fun torturing Kagome with what were easily the ugliest fucking flowers known to man and pouting about the refusal to have pumpkin spice flavored cake.

It wasn't until the girls got to the accents for the groom and his men that they ran into a problem. She wasn't sure if that fell under her part of the planning or not, and she had been so preoccupied when working with the actual wedding planner, she hadn't heard whether or not she was supposed to pick that out or not. She guessed she would have to at least let him know what the bridesmaids were wearing so if he was the one dealing with himself and his men, he could match the color properly.

However, she was also pretty sure there was something traditional Kouga would be wearing considering he was a lord. She didn't know a lot about the change to the times she used to know before something happened in the past to ensure demons saw the modern era, and she didn't want it to actually look like she didn't know anything because she didn't want to ask questions she should already know the answer to.

Grabbing her phone and slipping it into her pocket, she decided she would go to the bathroom and call Kouga to ask what she needed to know. She knew she could ask the guards that were with her, but she didn't need her friends overhearing the conversation. So, after excusing herself, she left the table, rolling her eyes as one of the other guards stood and followed after her. She felt that was a little unnecessary, but she also knew she couldn't argue with him and win. As long as he didn't try to actually go IN the bathroom, she could live with him standing outside since she didn't actually have to pee.

Once she was safely tucked out of sight, Kagome hit the redial button and waited for Kouga to pick up. She had to giggle when he finally answered.

" _Okay, seriously... who's ass am I kickin'?"_

Biting her lip, Kagome chuckled. "What?"

" _I told him if I got another call from you I would be whoopin' someone's ass. Who pissed you off this time?"_

Blinking, Kagome shook her head. "Oh, no. It's nothing like that. I just have a question I can't really ask anyone else."

" _Oh. In that case, what's up?"_

After giving him the cliff notes version of her problem and the not knowing what all had changed from the times she knew and the one she came back to, she explained she was pretty sure she should know exactly what was expected of her to know. She had no idea what kinds of traditions were actually a thing and what where not anymore. She didn't know what color green was the color of the East. She didn't know what she was supposed to see to and what was already guaranteed because of station. She told him the planning was almost done, but she couldn't finish it without knowing whether or not she was supposed to match the groomsmen with the bridesmaids.

There was a long pause then a hum. " _Okay. First of all, there is no groomsmen or bridesmaids, so you can nix whatever issues you have with those. That is a human thing. Before you say it, yes, I am aware you're a human. However, I am not and, as far as those traditions go, they haven't changed in longer than the five hundred years you lost. All that's at the altar is you, me, and the officiant, which in this case is Sesshoumaru since you are technically part of the Western House. A mating is a little different than a wedding, though the end result is the same. I cannot believe the planner bitch didn't explain that before any sort of preparations were discussed."_

Kagome cut in. "She may have. I, um, didn't really listen to her all that much because it was more dictating than planning."

She heard a chuckle. " _A lot of if is planned for you, but there is still a lot left to be figured out. If it makes it easier for you, know you don't need to worry about anything to do with me. I will be wearing that awesome fur and armor I'm sure you remember. Your job is to plan the reception. The ceremony is pretty much planned for you. The only thing about that you have say in is what you're wearing."_

Kagome huffed and crossed the arm that wasn't holding up a phone across her chest. "That would have been amazing to know four hours ago."

" _Then you should have called four hours ago if you were having issues."_

Pursing her lips, she tapped her fingers against her arm. "Well, that does kind of explain the looks the girls gave me when I said something about the flowers for the chairs going down the aisle."

There was a snort. " _Yeah, that ain't happenin', Woman. Actually, there aren't even chairs for that. It doesn't last long enough for people to sit. Ten, fifteen minutes and that part is over. It's more of a party than anything else. Like I said before, it's supposed to be a happy occasion. You know, eat, drink, and be merry... or something like that."_

Nodding into the phone, Kagome brought up the last thing she needed to know. "Okay, one more thing. What color green is the right color green?"

" _Honestly, I don't really give a fuck as long as it's not mint."_


	7. Chapter 7

Sequestered away in a room on the second floor of the Eastern Manner, Kagome sat on a stool before a mirror while two hired demon beauticians pulled at her hair and painted her face. It wasn't geisha like, but it was close. At least to her, who never really wore makeup at all. The cover up was actually her skin tone, but it felt heavy, and the shadow, blush, and lipstick seemed a bit much. No one else would agree, though. All the staff that came in and out of the room gushed at how beautiful their new Lady looked. Her hair was pulled up into a bun with small green flowers and pearls. She did look stunning, even if she would have rather not been wearing make up.

She arrived at Kouga's the night before just in time for dinner, and her dress was delivered a few hours later. Since the vast majority of his staff was seeing to the banquet and set up for the next afternoon, Kouga had been the one to get the door when it was dropped off, and Kagome giggled from the living room doorway when he adverted his eyes and told them where to take it.

It was now less than an hour before the ceremony was set to start and Kagome was completely tied up in knots. Her stomach hurt from it, and as she looked into the mirror and saw the faces of two strangers, her heart clenched at the sight. It was wrong. It shouldn't be strangers getting her ready, it should have been her mother. She closed her eyes to fight back the tears that welled up so she didn't get yelled at for ruining her mascara.

When she was deemed done, the women left and Kagome was left alone for the first time since she woke up. Hell, she didn't even get to bathe herself, even after screaming at the top her lungs she was perfectly capable of cleaning her own body, all the chamber maids did was chuckle and shove her head under the water.

Now, all that was left to do was put on her dress and shoes and she would be completely ready. Sadly, she did actually have to wait for someone to come in and help her with it since it was a lace-up corset style top and that is not exactly something she could do by herself.

Spinning around in her seat, she looked at the dress that was hanging on the closet door. It was, by request, two pieces that would actually show her stomach. Thankfully, she was in fantastic shape from running around Japan for the last couple of years. The skirt was full and dragged the ground, added accents of green that faded into darker tones down the back and into the train. The top was strapless and had different green and brown colored stones scattered around the cropped space. The dress itself was an off white. She had elbow length gloves that had brown buttons running the inside of her forearm and a green band that ran around the top of them. It was beautiful and it absolutely did cost that fortune for the rush to finish it on time.

With a hum, Kagome stood from the stool and went to pull down the skirt. This she could put on by herself, and she had to assume her chamber maid would return soon to help her with the top. The silk of the skirt was cool against her skin and actually felt really good since is was so hot. She was, though she shouldn't have been, surprised to find it fit like a glove when she zipped herself into it. Turning to the mirror, she pulled up the bottom of the short robe she was wearing and got a loot at herself in just the skirt. It was an absolutely perfect fit. She had worried it would give her a muffin top since she was only measured once and never tried it on before now.

Deciding to go ahead and finish getting dressed, she carefully unhooked the top and, being very careful not to mess up her hair, slipped it over her head and pulled it into place. No, she wouldn't be able to completely tighten it by herself, but she could pull on the strings so it stayed up. She was in the process of doing just that when there was a knock on the door. Figuring it was the maid she was waiting for, she called for the person to enter and turned to the doorway with a smile, only to jump nearly out of her skin when she saw it wasn't actually a female at all. Though he was much older than she remembered him, she would know him anywhere.

"Inuyasha?"

He stood there dressed in his firerat suit, his hair, though longer, was still white and stuck up everywhere. The biggest difference being he looked like a man of fifty, and not the teenaged boy she used to know. It was such a shock to seem him like that, she forgot to get angry at his appearance. This was the first time she had seen the time that passed actually affect someone, and it was a shock to her system.

Inuyasha, for his part, was struck at just how beautiful his old best friend looked, and it brought him up short on something to say. There was a time he had played with the idea of her looking like that for him, but he fucked up every chance he might have had, and now she was lost to him forever. Seems the wolf had finally won; at least in Inuyasha's mind. He knew that wasn't actually the case and this was to save her from being mated to the spawn of Naraku, but that didn't settle his rolling stomach any.

After a long stretch of silence, Inuyasha cleared his throat. "You look beautiful, Kagome."

Kagome, still stuck in her own shock, simply nodded. "Thank you. You look... old."

Inuyasha chuckled. "Yeah, tends to happen after a few centuries. Are you ready?"

All Kagome could do was shrug. "I guess. The lady that was supposed to help me with my dress seems to have vanished, though."

Leaning back and looking down the hall, seeing no one, Inuyasha looked at his watch and saw she was expected to be making her way outside soon, so he walked into the room. "Turn around."

Jolting, Kagome took a step back. "Beg pardon?"

Smiling slightly, Inuyasha twirled a finger. "You need to head outside and no one is coming this way. Turn around. I know how to tie a corset."

Making a noise in her throat, and a unhappy face, Kagome did as she was told and turned, holding the front of her top in place while Inuyasha grabbed the strings on the back of her dress and gave them a rough tug. With a grunt, Kagome teetered before she caught her balance and readjusted her top. "Hey! Be nice to the twins."

Inuyasha chuckled. "Sorry, but it's not laced properly. Hold onto the bed post and try not to move."

Grinding her teeth, she did as he said and, five minutes later, took in a deep breath when Inuyasha said he was done. To her surprise, she could actually still breathe. Doing one last readjustment, she turned and looked at Inuyasha. "Thanks."

He just smiled slightly and nodded. "You should finish getting ready. Ceremony is going to start in a few minutes."

*X*

Kouga wasn't wrong. It took twelve minutes from the time she reached his side for him to bite her neck and leave his mark, calling for a cheer from the crowd and Sesshoumaru to announce them as Lord and Lady of the East. And he did wear the outfit she remembered very well. It seemed to suit him better now, though. He had always been a confident, borderline cocky, guy, but he seemed to carry himself better in the clothing of a warrior. Maybe it was because it was actually a fight to live as long as he has. Kagome didn't know, but still, he looked the part he always had.

It also didn't take but five minutes for the party to start. The band that was chosen was playing, alcohol was literally flowing from three different fountains, as well as from the bottles at the open bar. The dance floor was already full and everyone was smiling as they came and personally congratulated the newly mated couple.

For the first half hour, Kouga and Kagome waited at the alter, nodding to and thanking the guests as they came up to them. There was only a few more people left when Kagome found herself roughly shoved behind Kouga's back and out of sight since she was still a lot shorter than he was. She would have asked what was going on, but she was cut off from saying anything when she heard the sound of steel scraping steel when Kouga pulled the sword from his hip and a growl rumbled deep in his chest.

Peeking out from around Kouga's shoulder, Kagome gasped at the sight of the man from Sesshoumaru's, Ryu, stand before them with a smirk on his lips and a sword poised at his throat.

Ryu stood, completely sure of himself, before the couple, his eyes locking on Kagome's for a long moment before he looked back at Kouga.

Kouga, not in the mood for games, shifted his weight, pressing the tip of his sword a little harder against the wedding crasher's neck. "I suggest you leave, before you force me to ruin my mate's dress."

Ryu's smile only widened as he lifted a hand and pinched the blade between his fingers and pulled it away from him. "That will not be necessary. I am merely here to offer you my wholehearted congratulations, and of course, give you my present." He pulled an envelope from his obi and held it out, frowning when Kouga made no move to take it. Sighing a dejected sound, he handed it over to a guard who was watching the interaction, waiting for his order to remove the uninvited person. Not moving his eyes from Kouga's, Ryu smiled. "A decree from the Court. They have decided that, should all contract clauses not be met within a year, your mating will be voided and mine will be honored."

Kagome gasped and Kouga snorted hard. "Don't worry, Kagome. He's lying, something he didn't get the ability to do from his father." Grinning at the shock that flashed through Ryu's eyes, Kouga took a step towards him. "Do you even know who sits on the Demon Court?" When he said nothing, Kouga continued. "The four Cardinal Lords and, all mating decisions must be unanimous. Seeing as how I wasn't present for such a ruling, and our contract was negotiated with a second, there is no possible way for your 'decree' to be valid. It would be wise of you to know the laws before you try and use them."

Kagome watched the interaction with fear in her gut, only to actually jump with she looked to her side and saw Sesshoumaru standing there, and the other two lords behind her.

Kouga, however, was completely unfazed, and took extreme pleasure in the way Ryu began to squirm before him.

Lips pressing together in a tight line, Ryu spat. "Then how could you possibly have over ridden my contract without the other two present?"

Bemused, Kouga chuckled. "It's called a phone, Numbnuts. We don't actually have to be in the same place for a mating dispute to happen. Now," hand shooting out, Kouga grabbed Ryu around the neck, his claws digging into the soft flesh. "Are you going to leave under your own power? Or in a body bag?"

Kagome had no idea what came over her. She had seen Kouga's act so many times. She had seem him play the tough guy. She had seen him nearly feral with anger. But, she had never, not once, actually found it attractive. In that moment, she actually had to fight against herself to keep the sound in her throat from coming out of her mouth. To her shock, Kouga actually looked back at her and winked before returning his attention to the man fighting against his grip. She had no idea he was that strong to actually hold a man completely hostage with one hand and no other assistance.

With another growl, Kouga literally threw Ryu into the waiting grasp of one of his guards, shaking out his fingers to remove the blood from his claws that came from the puncture wounds on Ryu's neck. Looking him dead in the eyes, Kouga gave him a piece of parting advice. "Next time I see you, it will be the last."

The four lords watched as the man was dragged from the grounds, and Kagome was playing with her fingers. She wasn't sure what the protocol was for talking without being spoken to first, but hey, she was a Lady now, so maybe they would actually answer her.

Lifting her eyes to Kouga, she bit her lip before speaking. "You have say in someone else's mating?"

All four turned to look at her. Kouga, though, just grinned. "Nah, not really. We're the ones that settle a dispute, but other than that, we tend to stay out of other people's lives if we can."

Crossing her arms, Kagome cocked her head. "How do you decide who wins?"

Sesshoumaru answered that one. "We look at the original contract first, seeing what was changed and negotiated with the female's caretaker, which is normally their father. We then look at the new proposal by the one disputing the mating. We have a closed meeting with the onna, asking pointed questions taken from both contracts and then, hopefully, be able to decide which male is better suited to care for her. Mates are a sacred thing within our society, and the female must be taken care of. If it is clear she knows, or is more comfortable with one over the other, we will more than likely go with the one she herself chooses. It's a very rare occurrence we actually approve the dispute. The original contract is almost always better for her because it was drafted with her completely in mind. With yours to Ryu, it was clear to be one sided within the first page. It didn't take but reading the first paragraph of Ryu's contract to the other lords for them to agree to rip it up."

Frowning, and knowing she didn't really want the answer, asked anyway. "Why? I never saw his."

The Northern Lord, Doshi, grunted. "The child clause. If you did not produce a child within a year, that despicable creature would then be allowed to step out of the mating whenever he chose and sleep with whomever, whenever, and wherever he decided while you were forbidden from even looking in the direction of another male."

She was right. She didn't want to know. Still, she pursed her lips before asking something else. "Is there even the slightest chance what he said about not meeting the terms of the contact with Kouga would happen? Our mating would be voided and his would be honored?"

The four Lords looked at each other before Kouga cleared his throat. "Yeah, there is. That's why there are contracts, though. It protects a mating from being infringed upon without reason. However, ours does have a time clause in it about having a child. If we don't meet that, there is the chance our mating can be overturned if he makes a big enough stink about it. But, it's like, twenty something years down the line."

Hitaro, the Southern Lord, chimed in then, voice exasperated. "Twenty-three years and seven months."

Kouga, ever the smart ass, grunted. "I gotta put that shit on a calendar or something."

Giving him a sidelong look, Hitaro continued. "At that point," returning his attention to Kagome, "it would be very doubtful the mating would be voided since it lasted so long already. We would more than likely simply extend the time limit to fulfill the clause. But, without an heir by his six hundredth year, Lord Kouga would still be required to step down."

Kouga grinned wide then. "See? Nothing to be concerned about. But, if it's alright with you, I would like to bring attention to the fact our mating just started, twenty minutes ago. Can we stop worrying about it ending for now and focus on that? I'm sure there are lots of things you want to ask, and I swear to you, I'll answer every one of them... tomorrow. For now, I want to have a drink and dance with my woman." Giving her a pointed look, he held out a hand and waited for her to take it.

Blushing slightly, Kagome smiled and set her hand in his. "Sorry. You're right."

Pulling her to his side and slinging his arm around her shoulders, Kouga grinned down at her. "You'll find out, I usually am."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N... Okay, there is a bit of a time jump here, but there will be flashes of the past over the rest of the story. it was dragging, and I wanted it to pick up a bit.**

 **Time for some fun!**

 **~Kouga's Eternal**

Waiting inside Kouga's room for him, Kagome set the last of her plan into place. For the last couple of weeks, she had been looking into all kinds of things that had to do with demon matings and, though there were a few things she was slightly worried about, it would prove she was actually accepted, something she hadn't known was needed. She had no idea just how much sway over the being as a whole the darker side of a demon had.

The discovery came about when she was taking with Sesshoumaru's mate about a joint party thing in the coming months and Katana had her hair pinned up for the first time Kagome had seen, and she saw there was a bite mark on both sides of her neck, prompting Kagome to ask why. Katana had giggled and explained one was given to her by Sesshoumaru, the other was given to her by his inner beast. Kagome had also asked why they each marked her, and, not knowing a nicer way to put it, Katana had told her it showed the whole of Sesshoumaru accepted she was his mate, and that was something that didn't always happen, but was something that was necessary for any future family plans. If the beast didn't like you, or didn't think you were good enough, pups, or in Kagome's case cubs, wouldn't happen.

When she found that out, she dove into every book and scroll she could find without Kouga noticing, and discovered exactly what she needed to do, and that's what scared the shit out of her. She had to play to the demon, proving herself a worthy mate while at the same time, not acting subservient.

It would be a balancing act, but she was pretty sure she had everything figured out as well as she could be expected for being human.

She hated the fact everything came back to babies. Sure, that was the plan in a handful of more years, but it was seriously like everyone kept throwing kids in her face. This was just another thing to add to her growing desire to never have them.

Pausing in her pacing, Kagome dropped her face into her palms with a sigh. No, she new she had to eventually have one, but damn it, why couldn't it be easy to do so? Why did she have to go out of her way to gain the approval of a beast Kouga kept locked away?

Because she was mated and not married, which meant jumping through a lot of hoops.

Shaking her head, she looked at the door when she heard the one to her room being opened, meaning Kouga was heading to bed. With one last deep breath, she moved herself into position, and waited.

*X*

Kouga was dead fucking tired. He had been out of town until that morning, and spent the rest of the day in his office finishing what he couldn't get done while he was on sight. That meant hours on the phone and his nose buried in papers. He had hoped to see Kagome at at least some point over the course of the day, but had been left to assume she was still at the Western Manner with Katana because she never came to see him. When he stopped at her room to see if she just didn't know he was home and found it empty, he let out a dejected sigh, closed the door, and went to his own.

When he opened the door, he came to an abrupt stop, mid step, his hand still holding the doorknob, a low growl slipping from his throat. She was standing in front of one of his bedposts, her hands bound together above her head, her hair pulled up into a high ponytail, clad in what looked like only a pair of sheer stockings, a silk wrap, and a pair of wrist covers that seemed to only serve the purpose of keeping the bindings from leaving bruises.

His eyes started from the tip of her toes and slowly climbed her form, taking in everything she was, and everything she wasn't showing. Licking his lips, he finished entering his room, closing his door and clicking it locked behind him. A dark smirk played at his lips as he surveyed her stance. Her body itself was facing him, but she herself was facing away, head turned down, exposing the entirety of her neck and, more importantly, his mark on her neck.

His voice was deeper than Kagome was expecting, a cruel bite to it that sent a shiver down her spine as she stayed as still as she could.

"Playing to the demon's demon, are you, My Lady?"

Kagome continued to stay silent, biting the inside of the cheek that wasn't facing him.

Kouga made a noise that was a cross between a purr and a growl when he finally reached his mate. From the corner of his eye, he saw her advert her eyes to the side and away from him when he ran the pads of his fingers over his mark, showing complete submission. He then hummed in his throat as his fingers slid up the column of her neck, grabbing her jaw in a tight grip, forcing her to follow his command to turn her head. He smirked when she did as he wanted and dropped her eyes, refusing to make eye contact with him.

"Do you truly find that wise for a human to do?"

Using his grip on her chin to tilt her head back, he watched as she closed her eyes to continue to not look at him. Well, she certainly did her homework, he would give her that. Very well, if she wanted to prove she was worth his time, he would indulge her. The fact that she was human and willing to literally risk her life to show him she was worthy of him, in his mind, got her halfway there.

Tightening his grip slightly, he spoke again, daring her. "Look at me, Mate."

Obediently, Kagome opened her eyes, looking at him, but not looking into his now red eyes.

Kouga's demon grinned again, his fangs showing in the candles Kagome placed around the room. "Are you sure you want to do this? Your life could be at risk. I'm not gentle. This will be your only warning."

It was then Kagome finally looked him in the eyes. It was both brave and stupid. Brave because there was no trepidation, fear, or second thought in her eyes. And it was stupid for the same reasons. She didn't say a word though, because he hadn't told her she could actually talk. Once she was sure he knew her answer, she dropped her eyes again, still looking at him, but not looking in his very red, very hungry, eyes.

Releasing her chin, Kouga ran his hand down her neck to the silk cover she wore, using his claws to just shred it instead of fucking with the zipper on the side. As the now useless cloth fluttered to the ground at their feet, a hum of approval sounded in his throat. She wasn't bare under it as he had thought. She now stood in a strapless, front clasping bra with black and red lace, a barely there side tie under garment, and a chain and lace garter belt holding her stockings in place.

Reaching up, he unhooked where Kagome had hung her hands and used the strap that held her hands together to pull her to him. Crooking a finger under her chin, he tilted her head back and forced her to lock eyes. "Last chance, Mate. Are... you... _sure_?

 _Well, maybe not anymore_ , Kagome thought, but licking her lips, she nodded sharply once, taking his cue and keeping eye contact.

Grin going nearly sinister when he saw the uncertainty flash through her eyes, Kouga's demon chuckled in his throat. "You are a brave little onna, I'll give you that." Taking a step away and releasing the binding between her hands, he grabbed her hips in a nearly too tight hold, dipping his head down and whispering in her ear. "Undress me."

Biting her bottom lip at the feeling of his breath tickling her skin, Kagome slowly did as she was told. She went to pull the bottom of his shirt from being tucked in, but it was at that point Kagome found a flaw. She only gave herself about three inches of slack between her hands, if that, so untucking his shirt proved be be a little difficult. To her shock, he was rather patient with her as she worked her way around his waist. When she was successful in getting at least the front of his shirt untucked, she lifted her arms and slowly with deliberate movements, slowly unbuttoned the dark blue button up.

When she was two buttons from the bottom, she found herself in another pickle. How the hell was she actually supposed to get the shirt off him when she didn't actually have use of her arm span and he was holding her in place. Thinking it through on the last button, she bit her lip again as she set her fingertips against his well defined lower abs. Keeping her voice level but quiet, she glanced up at him, her expression coy. "May I remove it, My Lord?"

Knowing exactly what issue she backed herself into, Kouga smirked. Resourceful little onna, wasn't she? Letting go of her hips, Kouga turned around and felt her first pull one side of his shirt over his shoulder before she did the same to the other.

Once his shirt was off his shoulders, Kagome grabbed the rolled up right sleeve and pulled Kouga's arm free before pulling the shirt off altogether by pulling it down his left. Once the shirt was off, she shook it out and gently laid it over the footboard of the bed. Knowing she wasn't done following his original directions, she then moved to stand before him again with every intention of making an ass of herself trying to unbuckle and remove a belt with the severe handicap she gave herself. Everything sounds like a good idea until it's put into practice, it seems.

When his mate took his belt buckle in her hands, he looked down at her and tilted his head to the side. ' _She's really going to go through with this, isn't she? She is either very brave, or very stupid."_

To her shock, Kagome found it very easy to not only undo the buckle with her hands tied as closely as they were, but removing it completely was easy as well. After dropping the leather strap to the floor, she had to bite back a squeak like noise when she felt her back hit hard against the bedpost she had started hooked to when she finished unzipping Kouga's jeans. There was a pretty good chance that was going to hurt really bad later.

She didn't have a whole lot of time to consider that, though, because the moment it registered in her mind she was about to fucking manhandled, she felt fingers close around her throat. It didn't hurt, and she was still able to breathe just fine. It was just a shock to her because actually, Kouga was a surprisingly gentle lover. He was strong and powerful of course, but he always seemed to go out of his way to not hurt her.

This side of him, however, didn't seem to care.

Finding her arms once against hooked above her head, Kagome shook off the burn in her back as best she could without moving or making a sound. She knew this was a test; a painful test, but just a test. She signed up for this. She might not like the roughness, but she agreed to it. All she had to do was get through it.

She opened her eyes when she was told, looking into the red eyes of Kouga's demon. He seemed thoughtful. She felt his hand against her side and she desperately fought against squirming away from his touch because his claws tickled her ribs.

Clicking his tongue, he rubbed the bare side of her neck where his mark might be place as he looked into dark blue, human eyes. He looked off to the side and took in a very cute picture of his other half and her, licking his lips and roughly clearing his throat. "You can end this, right now. No question, no disconsideration. He truly does not want me to hurt you."

 _'Me either, Sparky.'_ Still, she stood her ground, giving her explanation after licking her lips and letting out a slow breath. "No. You can't love someone, trust someone, without seeing to, and dealing with, every part of them. Loving him, means trusting you, and I know what your purpose is. No, I don't want to stop."

A brow rose. "My purpose? I kill, happily. I maim, destroy, and hurt without care or provocation. I am every evil deed and unholy thought he has ever had." His voice lowered and his grip on her neck tightened. "My purpose, My Lady, is to slaughter."

Locking her eyes on his, Kagome challenged him to deny her words. "That's only half of it, and we both know it. You're not going to scare me. You may hurt me physically. Hell, you might even kill me. But, you will never fucking scare me."

That cruel smirk returned to his lips as he stepped closer so they stood chest to chest. He looked down at her, mirth and, to Kagome's shock, desire swirling in his eyes. His voice was a throaty whisper. "Surrendering yourself to my will is a very dangerous venture in itself, My Lady. Challenging me, however, is a deadly choice. You might be worth more than just blood after all. I actually hope you survive."

"My survival, or lack thereof, is completely up to you. I am under no disillusion, My Lord. I know I'm putting my life in your hands."

His voice lowered even more, his grip tightening on her hips as he pulled her lower half against him, allowing his lips to brush against her flesh again. "Then say it."

Swallowing lightly, Kagome responded in kind. "I belong to you."


	9. Chapter 9

Holy Kami, did she hurt. There wasn't a part of her that was unfazed. Bruises and cuts littered her skin from being grabbed too hard and there being no care as to the fact he had claws. She was positive her scalp was bleeding from how hard he pulled her hair. Not only was she sore from literally head to toe, she was so tired.

Kouga's demon, still in control, laid propped on his elbow, still buried balls deep inside his mate. He had her back pulled tight against his chest as he lavished the deep, angry red, and still bleeding puncture wounds he placed high on her neck with his tongue to both soothe it and clean it.

He would be lying if he said he wasn't both shocked and impressed his human mate was still alive. He had no idea humans could be so flexible. He did whatever he wanted over the last three hours and she took it all.

He hummed at the flavor she had, far sweeter than her scent indicated. He could actually feast on her forever and never feel the need for anything else.

As he heard her heart and breathing begin to slow, he left her neck alone and moved to her ear, whispering in his growl shrouded voice. "You're mine now."

Confused, Kagome opened her eyes, turning her head just enough to be able to see him. "I don't understand. I thought I already was."

A slow smirk graced the demon's lips. "No. You were his. Now you're mine. Your life will be decided by my wants for you. Your passions, your pleasures, your attentions, are all reserved for me and me alone. So help a man that looks your way. So help you if you look back. Gaining the approval of the beast within, though noble in reason, means releasing the softer, civilized side of all responsibility and giving it willingly to what is nothing more than a monster out for blood and ecstasy."

Kagome gulped. "Will it always be like that?"

To her shock, he very gently ran the side of his fingers down the beat up flesh of her side, poking the tip of his tongue out and licking her jaw. "No. Believe it or not, I don't actually want to hurt you. But, you have to prove your worthiness, which you did. It was a claim, a show of dominance; a lesson in submission. _I_ am the one in charge. So long as you remember that, this won't happen again. Challenge me, and it will until you resubmit."

Seeing her struggle to remain awake, he dipped his head and nuzzled her jaw with his nose, reaching out a hand and cutting her binding with a claw so she could lay comfortably. "Sleep, My Lady. I'm watching over you."

It hadn't taken long after he told her to go to sleep she was out like a light, but Kouga stayed awake, simply watching her sleep. Though he looked peaceful from the outside, there was one hell of a war going on in his head.

 _The two personalities stood back to back, their stances mirrored with their arms crossed and looking straight ahead. The civilized side had his features set into hard lines and narrowed eyes while the beast was the picture of calm and fuckall._

 _The civilized side growled and the beast chuckled. "You should calm down. It wouldn't do to scare her now."_

 _The growl grew in volume. "You could have killed her. You almost did... twice."_

 _The beast's smirk grew. "But she's alive, is she not? And, what are you so angry about, anyway? The fact I was so rough with her, or the fact she seemed to enjoy it more than either of you thought she would? I will concede to the fact she hurts currently, but it is better than the alternative. You and I both know what would have happened to her had she not come to me. You have loved that human for centuries, and even with what you consider to be plenty of time, without facing what she is, you would have lost her again with no hope of getting her back. Before you growl and snarl at me for doing exactly what I said I would, consider that first."_

 _The civilized part's glare darkened. He hated when the beast was right. Growling again, he let out a hard breath. "Fine. I'll give you that point, but there was absolutely no reason whatsoever to nearly strangle her."_

 _There was a hum from the beast. "But it was fun."_

 _Finally turning to face himself, Kouga snarled. "You're an ass and intentionally threatened the life of our mate. How was that fun for you?_

 _The beast didn't turn, just held up a single finger. "My mate." Looking over his shoulder, "not ours. Mine. For a year now you have overlooked her, neglected her, ignored her for paperwork, and she gave herself, willingly, to me. You have no good excuse, therefore you have no claim. She will see you more than me, but my word is law. If I don't like the way you treat her, I will step in and destroy you myself."_

 _It was then the civilized Kouga smirked. 'Not one for reading are you? In this mating, she holds the power, not you."_

 _The beast grinned. "Only over when she is to be impregnated. So she gets to decide when we have a cub. That's fine. That should always be her choice, anyway. She is the one that must carry it, birth it, and care for it in ways others cannot."_

 _Kouga's face flattened. "So magnanimous of you."_

 _The beast chuckled. "I do try. Now, as for the way you've been dealing with her. What kind of wolf are you, anyway? She is your alpha female and you treat her as if she is the omega, leaving her to fend for herself when it was your responsibility to see to her every will and desire. That changes, right now. You will drop everything when she is in your presence or I will make you. You will shower her with attention and affection, or I will make you. You will listen to every fucking word she has to say, or I will destroy you. She is Lady. She deserves it. I don't care about the circumstances surrounding your mating to her. It doesn't matter. The mark on her neck put there by you elevated her to the point she should come before everything else. Either she will, or you will no longer be the one in charge."_

 _Kouga's brow raised to his bangs. "You think to challenge me as the dominant personality?"_

 _The beast grinned a cruel smile. "You've gone soft. The years have changed you and not for the better. You used to bathe in the blood of your victims. Diplomacy does not look good on you. You are a wolf. I suggest you remember who you are, before you become something you truly hate."_

 _Kouga glared. "I'm starting to hate you. If you remember, I changed for her."_

 _The beast chuckled in his throat. "So sweet of you to say, but it's utter bullshit. You are a demon, from a very proud line of royalty. If they could see you now, what would they say? Nothing good I would wager. They would likely be mortified. The truth that you are so desperate to overlook and completely ignore is, you never had to change for her. You should have fought harder for her. Rarely does a man need to change for a female. He just has to show her what she means to him. Even back then you left her in the care of a piss poor protector and now you leave her with no protection at all, knowing there is a man out there hell bent on taking her from you. Where, in all of that, would pride of self be found? You can say you changed for her, but really, all you did was become a weak, complacent, absentee."_

 _"Absentee, am I? Because I care about her health, well being, and allow her the space she wants while still maintaining a close relationship with her that doesn't end in her being covered in cuts and bruises?"_

 _The beast shook his head with a disgusted grunt. "You're missing the point. The point is, while you might be gentle and loving and an all around good guy, you're not there. Close? No. Not even slightly. If you were, why, a year into your mating, are you still not sharing a room? You're playing the part of a boyfriend, and you are not. She is supposed to be your lady, your mate, your reason to breathe, and she is cut off from personal space needed to be anything more than an eventual breeder of your heir. You sleep with her and then leave her alone like a common whore. How is it you can stand there and tell me you're close? How can you, with a straight face, say you care for her at all? I might be a monster, but at least I'm still in the same bed with her after fucking her senseless."_

 _Kouga stood there are stared at his beast, unable to respond at all to the accusation placed at his feet._

 _The beast, knowing he finally had his attention, stepped closer and locked their eyes. "Do better. Times are peaceful now. You do not need to spend your every moment in your office dealing with other people's problems. Kagome comes first, or you are done."_


End file.
